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Last adjustments before the World Championship

The next part of the World Cup takes place on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, in Cali for the 3rd round and Los Angeles for the 4th round, after Glasgow and Apeldoorn.

In Cali (Columbia) which is the 3rd round, Quentin takes part only in the speed team.

The 1st competition in 2017 is a test. “For this competition, I am placed in a position which is not mine usually. The idea is to work on the starting. As 2nd relay, it’s important to capitalize on the first cyclist to start even faster. In Cali, this work is our priority as decided with my coach Clara”. For the qualifying rounds, the cyclists order is: 1st François Pervis, 2nd Quentin Lafargue, 3rd Benjamin Edelin. They finish the qualifying round in 44’317 and gain access to the 1st round. A new combination is put together. This time we have 1st Benjamin Edelin, 2nd François Pervis and 3rd Quentin. They win against Columbia in 44’398 and compete in final for the bronze medal. France chooses the same combination as the one used during the qualifying round, ie: 1st François Pervis, 2nd Quentin Lafargue, 3rd Benjamin Edelin. They are opposed and fell to Russia with a time of 44’679. They get to 4th place.

No medal for Quentin this time! Nevertheless he is satisfied with the performance: “It’s important to be in the final round. Our results are consistent. It allows us to go deeper in our work. We build confidence. We are a young team and we still have a lot to learn. We could be disappointed but we consider it a new experience.”

Time to go to “Hollywood”

Quentin reaches the ‘Angels City’ after a 5,500 km trip and one week in Cali.

Los Angeles is candidate city for the 2024 Olympic Games (like Paris). This time Quentin competes in individual speed and team speed.

The competition starts with individual speed. Qualifying rounds for the 200m scratch are challenging. Quentin gets the 14th best time in 10”075 when the 5th time is 10”002. “It was my first 200m in competition since the Revolutions in Manchester last November. I had to find my bearings. I had great feelings but I made a gear mistake. The cycling track didn’t respond as I expected. My gear was slightly too big. But the tournament starts after the 200m and anything can happen!” Quentin qualifies for the ¼ final by winning over S. Zalonty (in 1/16th) and M. Chaebin (in 1/8th). Quentin is full of confidence in the ¼ final to compete with Czeck opponent P. Kelemen. Quentin wins the 1st round and is now one round away from the final. “I managed to surprise him in leading one round away from the finish line. At such speed, it’s almost impossible to come back in one round”. Quentin wins also the 2nd round but he is disqualified for moving away from the sprinting corridor during the final sprint. “I was leading the race but I reacted too slowly to his attack. To get in his way, I climb up a bit on the track but he doesn’t hesitate to pounce on me. During the last round, we have several physical contacts as I didn’t want to give in!”

During the final round, Quentin is on the right lane to victory but his opponent folds down on him. He touches Quentin’s wheel and makes him fall. Quentin falls heavily on the right shoulder. “I was in full control of the race!! Once again I had managed to surprise him by leading one round before the finish line. It’s when he intentionally knocks me down when I was already in the corridor”. The Czeck competitor is disqualified. Quentin was officially qualified for the ½ final. Unfortunately Quentin’s shoulder was too painful and he was taken to hospital for check-up. “The X rays show no broken bones despite severe pains. It’s a relief as the World Championship is up in April. The final diagnosis will be done with the medical team when back in France. In the meantime, my arm is strapped to the body but I can support my friends”.

When back in France, additional medical check-ups indicate a posterior right shoulder dislocation. Quentin is ready for the World Championship in Hong Kong from 12 to 16th April 2017 after a good recovery and intense physiotherapy work.